When you’re at the gym looking at the various cardio machines, it can be difficult to decide which machine to use.
There are often stationary bikes, elliptical trainers, StairMasters, and good old treadmills to choose from to get in your aerobic exercise. Depending on your fitness goals and fitness level, one machine might be better for you than another.
When it comes to the StairMaster vs. treadmill, which gives the better workout? In a head-to-head matchup, which burns more calories?
In this guide, we will compare the StairMaster vs treadmill and discuss the pros and cons of each so you can choose which is best for your fitness needs.
Stairmaster vs Treadmill Comparison
Which Provides A More Intense Workout?
The StairMaster and treadmill are both pieces of cardio equipment that offer great health benefits as they provide a great aerobic workout to help improve cardiovascular health.
A StairMaster is a stationary stair climber or stair stepper exercise machine that involves rotating stairs that you step up on to. Other stair stepper machines involve just stepping on alternating pedals that mimic the resistance and incline of climbing stairs.
Most people are familiar with a treadmill, but it is difficult to compare a stair climber and a treadmill workout because treadmills can be used for walking or running and may or may not be used at an incline.
Walking on a treadmill is a much lower-intensity and lower-impact workout than running on a treadmill.
Additionally, whether you’re walking or running, if you use the treadmill on an incline, you significantly increase the intensity of the exercise, burning more calories and using more of your leg muscles.
Indeed, one of the main differences between treadmill and StairMaster workouts when a treadmill is used without incline is that treadmills are pretty much just giving a cardio workout, whereas a StairMaster provides a cardio and resistance workout all in one.
However, when you walk or run up the incline on a treadmill, you’ll actually get a similar type of workout as you would on a stair stepper machine or StairMaster.
Moreover, the other factor to consider when comparing stair stepper workouts to treadmill workouts is the type of workout you’re doing and your familiarity with the machine.
You can walk or jog slowly on a treadmill for a relatively low-intensity workout, or you can run hard or do HIIT with speed interval training, which can be an extremely high-intensity workout.
Similarly, on the StairMaster or other stair climber exercise machine, you can climb at an easy or brisk pace or add hard intervals at a hard running effort.
The higher the intensity, the more difficult the workout.
The StairMaster and other stair stepper machines have a bit of a learning curve and require more coordination.
For this reason, beginners might be able to get a better workout on the treadmill until their stair climbing technique has improved.
Which Is A Better Cardio Workout?
If you’re looking for the best cardio workout between StairMaster vs treadmill workouts, you’ll have to consider how you plan to use the treadmill.
If you’re going to walk on the treadmill, the StairMaster will be a better cardio workout. Climbing stairs is a fantastic aerobic workout and is very challenging for your heart and lungs.
If you’re going to run, the treadmill takes the cake in terms of cardio in the stair climber vs treadmill match.
You can go faster on the treadmill, and the workout’s focus is cardio, whereas the StairMaster workout provides a hybrid of resistance and cardio.
Which Muscles Are Worked On Each Cross Training Machine?
Stair climbing predominantly works the quads (quadriceps), hamstrings, calves, and glutes. Because you’re only ascending the stairs, you’ll build a lot of strength in the posterior chain muscles.
For this reason, the StairMaster is a particularly great workout for your glutes and calves.
If you don’t hold onto the handrails, you can also get an excellent core workout and upper body workout akin to running. However, if you grip the handrails the whole time, you’ll negate the use of your upper body.
Walking and running work all the lower body muscles, the core muscles, and arm muscle groups, provided you don’t hold onto the handrails. Increasing the incline targets the calves, glutes, and hamstrings more.
Which Burns More Calories, The StairMaster or Treadmill?
The number of calories you burn in any workout depends not only on the type of exercise you’re doing—StairMasterl vs treadmill (or otherwise)—but also on your body weight and composition and the duration and intensity of your workout.
Therefore, it’s difficult to compare the calories burned on a StairMaster vs treadmill.
Harvard Health Publishing1Harvard Health Publishing. (2021, March 8). Calories burned in 30 minutes of leisure and routine activities. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diet-and-weight-loss/calories-burned-in-30-minutes-for-people-of-three-different-weights has a report that shows the approximate number of calories burned doing 30 minutes of various common types of exercise for different body weights.
While their numbers are usually pretty close to other calculations, the StairMaster energy expenditure seems unduly low.
The site reports that 30 minutes of “general stair stepper machine use” burns 180 calories for a 125-pound person, 216 calories for a 155-pound person, and 252 calories for a 185-pound person.
In comparison, the data show that running for 30 minutes at 5mph (12 min/mile pace) burns 240 calories for a 125-pound person, 288 calories for a 155-pound person, and 336 calories for a 185-pound person.
Running for 30 minutes at 6mph (10 min/mile pace) burns 295 calories for a 125-pound person, 360 calories for a 155-pound person, and 420 calories for a 185-pound person.
Finally, running at a vigorous 10mph (6 min/mile pace) burns 453 calories for a 125-pound person, 562 calories for a 155-pound person, and 671 calories for a 185-pound person.
Therefore, according to these values, running on the treadmill burns more calories than a StairMaster workout, depending on the intensity of your stair stepper workout.
“General use” stair stepping speaks to moderate intensity at best, so it’s certainly possible to increase your caloric expenditures above these estimates.
Also of note, 30 minutes of walking at a moderate pace of 3.5 miles per hour (17 minutes per mile) burns fewer calories than the stair stepper (107 calories for a 125-pound person walking versus 180 on a stair stepper, 133 calories for a 155-pound person walking versus 216 on a stair stepper, and 159 calories for a 185-pound person versus 252 on a stair stepper).
The best way to estimate your energy expenditure on either exercise machine is to use a heart rate monitor or fitness tracker and then use the formula for Metabolic Equivalents (METs).
The Compendium of Physical Activities22011 Compendium of Physical Activities. (n.d.). https://download.lww.com/wolterskluwer_vitalstream_com/PermaLink/MSS/A/MSS_43_8_2011_06_13_AINSWORTH_202093_SDC1.pdf reports that using the StairMaster or other stair climbing exercise machines is the equivalent of 9 METS while running up stairs is 15 METS.
This is much higher than the energy expenditure implicated by the Harvard Health numbers, but they align fairly closely to research studies3BASSETT, D. R., VACHON, J. A., KIRKLAND, A. O., HOWLEY, E. T., DUNCAN, G. E., & JOHNSON, K. R. (1997). Energy cost of stair climbing and descending on the college alumnus questionnaire. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 29(9), 1250–1254. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-199709000-00019 looking at the metabolic cost of climbing stairs.
Using METs values, you can calculate the number of calories burned on the stair climbing machine based on your body weight and duration of your workout using the equation to determine energy expenditure:
Calories Burned Per Minute = METs x 3.5 x (your body weight in kilograms) / 200
For example, if you weigh 165 pounds (75 kg) and do the stair climber machine at the gym:
9 METS x 3.5 x 75 / 200 = 11.8 calories per minute.
Then, if you do a 30-minute workout, you multiply the number of calories burned per minute by 30 minutes = 11.8 x 30 = 354 calories.
Most people using the StairMaster won’t really be “running” up the stairs, but in case you are wanting to compare calories burned running stairs vs treadmill, we can quickly calculate calories burned running stairs (which is a whopping 15 METS!) for the same 165-pound person:
For example, if you weigh 165 pounds (75 kg) and do the stair climber machine at the gym:
15 METS x 3.5 x 75 / 200 = 19.7 calories per minute.
Then, if you do a 30-minute workout, you multiply the number of calories burned per minute by 30 minutes = 19.7 x 30 = 591 calories.
The METS for treadmill workouts depend on the pace you are running or walking, as seen in the table below:
| METS | Pace (mph) | Pace (km/hr) |
| 6.0 | 4 mph (15 min/mile) | 6.4 |
| 8.3 | 5 mph (12 min/mile) | 8.0 |
| 9.0 | 5.2 mph (11.5 min/mile) | 8.4 |
| 9.8 | 6 mph (10 min/mile) | 9.7 |
| 10.5 | 6.7 mph (9 min/mile) | 10.8 |
| 11.0 | 7 mph (8.5 min/mile) | 11.3 |
| 11.5 | 7.5 mph (8 min/mile) | 12.1 |
| 11.8 | 8 mph (7.5 min/mile) | 12.9 |
| 12.3 | 8.6 mph (7 min/mile) | 13.8 |
| 12.8 | 9 mph (6.5 min/mile) | 14.5 |
| 14.5 | 10 mph (6 min/mile) | 16.1 |
| 16.0 | 11 mph (5.5 min/mile) | 17.7 |
| 19.0 | 12 mph (5 min/mile) | 19.3 |
| 19.8 | 13 mph (4.6 min/mile) | 20.9 |
According to this data, the StairMaster burns more calories than the treadmill if you’re running slower than 5.2 mph (11.5 minutes per mile), which is equivalent to 8.4 kpm, while the treadmill burns more calories than the StairMaster when you’re running faster than this.
Is A StairMaster Or Treadmill Better For Weight Loss?
Any form of exercise has the potential to help you lose weight and increase fat loss. The more calories you burn, the greater the caloric deficit you’ll generate, which then leads to greater weight loss.
Therefore, burning calories on a stair stepper machine or treadmill can help you lose weight.
When considering the StairMaster vs treadmill for weight loss, the winner mostly comes down to which workout you will do longer or more vigorously to burn more calories.
For example, if you can push your body through hard or long runs on a treadmill but can only do moderate-intensity exercise or short stints on a stair stepper exercise machine, the treadmill will probably result in more weight loss over time.
However, research shows that HIIT workouts are the most effective way to lose body fat because they increase your metabolic rate even after your workout is over, with some studies noting that your metabolism stays revved up for 14 hours after your workout.
With this in mind, a HIIT workout on a treadmill or StairMaster will be better for fat-burning than a steady-state workout at a lower intensity.
Finally, increasing your lean body mass is also an effective way to lose body fat because muscle tissue is more metabolically-active than fat tissue, and the StairMaster is a great way to build muscle.
Therefore, over time, the StairMaster might be best for body composition changes.
How Does The Injury Risk Compare With The Treadmill Vs StairMaster?
One of the best things about stair stepper workouts is that they are high-intensity but low-impact. If you suffer from joint pain, the stair stepper machine can be a better choice compared to running.
However, if you’re brand new to the StairMaster, it’s important to note that it takes some coordination and isn’t as natural as running on a treadmill, so you can potentially fall off.
Also, if you don’t usually climb a ton of stairs, you might be very sore after your first several stair stepper workouts.
Is The StairMaster Better Than The Treadmill?
There isn’t really a simple answer to whether the treadmill or StairMaster is a better workout.
Here are the factors to consider:
- How long can you do each? The longer your workout, the more it will increase your aerobic endurance.
- How intense can you do each? The higher the intensity, the better the workout.
- What is your goal? If you solely want a cardio workout, the treadmill is good, but if you want to build strength and get a cardio workout, the StairMaster is better.
- How are you using the treadmill? Walking or running? Incline or flat? If you’re walking or jogging slowly, the StairMaster is a better workout, but if you’re running and/or using incline, the treadmill is usually a better workout.
- Which do you prefer? Enjoyment is important, too!
If you like high-intensity strength training workouts, check out our very own HIITs that can be done at your home gym.
Very good info. I am 73 years old with arthritis in my knees. I used to run. Still walk some but with pain. I now do stationary bike, rowing machine, some eliptical and have did six ten minute sessions on the new stairmaster at my gym at 6.4 METS. No treadmill it is much too painful. Sometimes I do a few weights. The stairmaster works me. The bike and rowing machine only if I try to do more than 10 miles in a half hour and 4-5 thousand meters in a half hour on the rowing machine. I used to do an hour on the eliptical but not anymore. Usually only 15 minutes at tolerance of 7 instead of the 20 before. The stairmaster info is very helpful. Just acquired the manual today. Thank You